FIDALGO ISLAND

'Fidalgo Island' is an island in Skagit County, Washington, located about 90 minutes north of Seattle by automobile. To the east, it is separated from the mainland by the Swinomish Channel, and from Whidbey Island to the south by Deception Pass. Its largest city is Anacortes with a population of 14,557 according to the 2000 Census. The total population of the island was 20,700 and it has a land area of 106.684 km² (41.19 sq mi). There are ferries to Victoria, British Columbia and several cities in the San Juan Islands.

Contents

History

Notes

External links

Reference

History

Fidalgo Island was originally inhabited by the Samish and Swinomish peoples.
Fidalgo Island is named for the Spanish explorer and cartographer Salvador Fidalgo who explored the area in 1790 with the fleet of Francisco de Eliza. Charles Wilkes discovered that it was an island rather than part of the mainland. He named it ''Perry Island'' in honor of Oliver Hazard Perry, the American commander who won the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Following this theme, Wilkes named the island's highest point ''Mt Erie''. When Henry Kellett reorganized the official British Admiralty charts in 1847, he removed Wilkes' name ''Perry'' and bestowed the name ''Fidalgo'' to honor the Spanish explorer. The highest point retained the name ''Erie''.^[1]
Settlement peaked in 1850s due to the Fraser River Gold Rush and in 1890 due to speculation that the area would become a terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Later the island became an important fishing and lumber center.

Notes

1. Washington State Place Names, , James W., Phillips, University of Washington Press, 1971,

External links

★ Deception Pass Park Foundation webpage

★ Save South Fidalgo

★ South Fidalgo Community Council

Reference

★ Early History of Fidalgo Island